Russian reporters traveling on a state-chartered plane to cover President Vladimir Putin’s summit with US President Donald Trump were served chicken Kyiv. The dish is named after Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. It sparked a commentary and speculation on social media on its symbolism.
Social Media, Critics React
Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today, shared on X that members of the Russian press corps were given the breaded cutlets during the flight to Anchorage for Friday’s cease-fire talks.
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“Our journalists, who flew to Alaska on a special flight, were served chicken Kyiv cutlets on the plane,” Simonyan wrote.
Наших журналистов, прилетевших на Аляску спецбортом, в самолете кормили котлетами по-киевски.
— Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) August 15, 2025
The meal drew reactions from critics, with some viewing it as a provocative gesture beyond simple catering. Kremlin propagandist Sergei Markov reportedly joked on social media,
“Putin and Trump should turn Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into a chicken Kyiv. There’s no shortage of humor in the Kremlin.”
The Meaning Behind The Kyiv Chicken Served To Russian Journalists
Egor Piskunov, a reporter for the Russian state-run RT outlet who was on the plane, described the dish as “a good sign for the upcoming negotiations” between Putin and Trump, according to his X post.
It remains unclear whether serving chicken Kyiv was intended as a political statement. The dish, often found on Russian airline menus for its convenience in freezing and reheating, is typically stuffed with herbs and butter and is thought to have evolved from the “cutlet de volaille Kiev-style” served at Kiev’s Continental Hotel.
Trump-Putin Alaska Summit Continues
Meanwhile, the high-level meeting between the two leaders was underway. The “small group” session included President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov.
The three-on-three talks, which have lasted close to two hours, were scheduled to be followed by a larger working lunch involving a broader circle of U.S. and Russian officials.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
